Transgender community members and supporters rally at City Hall

IV Staklo, the organizer of the transgender rally on the steps of City Hall on Church Street in New Haven, Saturday, March 31, 2018. .

IV Staklo, the organizer of the transgender rally on the steps of City Hall on Church Street in New Haven, Saturday, March 31, 2018. .

Photo: Catherine Avalone / Hearst Connecticut Media

Photo: Catherine Avalone / Hearst Connecticut Media

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IV Staklo, the organizer of the transgender rally on the steps of City Hall on Church Street in New Haven, Saturday, March 31, 2018. .

IV Staklo, the organizer of the transgender rally on the steps of City Hall on Church Street in New Haven, Saturday, March 31, 2018. .

Photo: Catherine Avalone / Hearst Connecticut Media

Transgender community members and supporters rally at City Hall

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NEW HAVEN — People gathered on City Hall steps to speak up for transgender rights, share testimony and be seen.

Recognizing International Transgender Day of Visibility, members and supporters of the transgender community rallied Saturday to celebrate transgender people and raise awareness of the discrimination faced by transgender people.

Activists representing the student organization Trans at Yale and the True Colors Fund, which works to end homelessness among LGBTQ youth, spoke about personal experiences of discrimination and called for social reform on transgender discrimination.

“When we talk about systemic oppression, trans issues have to be at the forefront,” rally organizer IV Staklo said. “Here in New Haven, we wanted this to be a combination of celebrating and uplifting trans lives. Having it at City Hall was symbolic because year to year people who are supposed to be amplifying trans voices are politicians that set our needs on the back burner.” Staklo said trans rights are either pushed aside or never achieved.

From bans on transgender people joining the military to disparities in health care, transgender people struggle fiercely with finding equality. More often, transgender people suffer from mental health issues, live in poverty and experience abuse.

Transgender Visibility Day calls for the equal treatment of transgender people in all areas.

The word “transgender” is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity is different from their sex at birth. Some transgender people identify as male or female, and some identify as genderqueer, nonbinary, agender, or somewhere else on or outside the spectrum of gender.

Maia Leonardo came out to their family as transgender four years ago. Leonardo has since found acceptance and support within the transgender community, but when they initially came out to their family, Leonardo’s parents were cruel and called Leonardo profanities instead of Leonardo’s preferred name.

“It’s hard for us to come out,” Leonardo said. “When trans people do, they get disowned by their families, abused and even killed for it. ... People are antagonistic, distrusting. So many trans people have experienced that.”

Staklo said they have had to leave jobs because they were threatened with violence for being openly transgender. Like Leonardo, Staklo’s family was not supportive when Staklo came out and it has been difficult to get acceptance from their family, but Staklo found support within the transgender community. “I don’t know that I would’ve come out otherwise.”

Leonardo said they are proud to be a voice for the transgender community speaking openly about their identity.

“There are powerful people who would like to see us disappear and this is important to show we won’t,” they said. “Now I’m the person little me wanted to be.”

Staklo said trans visibility not only helps the transgender community, but rallies such as Saturday’s also inform the people around the transgender community about their issues and struggles.

“We need to organize and provide community, give trans people the opportunity to connect,” Staklo said. “We’re speaking truth to power. Speaking out is important and this builds a stronger more unified movement.”